Hyogo Prefecture is famous for its world-renowned Kobe beef, but its culinary traditions also include a variety of distinctive dishes featuring beef. Among the local favorites are bifu katsu, or beef cutlet, and Katsumeshi, a regional specialty originating in Kakogawa City. Both feature breaded and fried beef, yet each has its own history, presentation, and place in the region’s food culture.
Bifu katsu is short for “beef cutlet.” Unlike the more familiar Japanese tonkatsu, which is made with pork, bifu katsu uses beef coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until crisp. It is commonly served with a rich demi-glace-style sauce, which complements the savory flavor of the meat.
Beef cutlets are often served as a main dish at Western-style Japanese restaurants, but they also appear in a variety of creative forms. Their combination of a crunchy coating, tender beef, and flavorful sauce makes them a satisfying example of Japan’s yoshoku cuisine, a tradition of Western-inspired dishes adapted to Japanese tastes.
Beef Cutlet Sandwich features a crispy beef cutlet tucked between slices of bread. Convenient to eat on the go, it is popular as a light meal and can also make a tasty takeaway treat.
Beef Katsumeshi is a hearty dish in which a beef cutlet is placed over a bed of rice and covered with a generous amount of demi-glace-style sauce. Shredded cabbage is often served alongside it, adding freshness and texture to the rich flavors.
Katsumeshi is a regional specialty closely associated with Kakogawa City in Hyogo Prefecture. It is typically served on a Western-style plate, with rice topped with a thin beef cutlet and covered in a savory, demi-glace-style sauce. One of its most distinctive features is that this Western-inspired meal is traditionally eaten with chopsticks rather than a knife and fork.
The dish combines familiar Western-style cooking with the convenience and everyday appeal of Japanese home-style dining. Its generous portions and rich sauce have helped make it a favorite among local residents and a must-try meal for visitors exploring Kakogawa.
Katsumeshi is believed to have originated shortly after World War II at a restaurant near Kakogawa Station. It was created as an accessible Western-style meal that could be enjoyed easily without the need for a knife and fork. The dish gradually spread through local eateries and restaurants, becoming a familiar part of everyday dining and one of Kakogawa’s best-known culinary specialties.
Today, more than 100 restaurants in Kakogawa and the surrounding area serve katsumeshi, with each establishment offering its own interpretation of the dish. Special katsumeshi sauces are also sold in supermarkets, allowing people to recreate the meal at home. The dish is even served in local school lunches, introducing younger generations to this much-loved regional food.
Traditional katsumeshi is made with beef cutlet, but newer versions offer alternatives to suit different tastes. Pork Katsumeshi replaces the beef with a pork cutlet, while Chicken Katsumeshi uses chicken for a different flavor and texture. Shrimp Katsumeshi offers another variation, featuring a breaded shrimp cutlet.
Creative adaptations have expanded the dish beyond the traditional plate, including katsumeshi burgers and katsumeshi bars. These modern interpretations demonstrate how a postwar local specialty continues to evolve while retaining its distinctive character.
Japanese beef cutlet, also known as gyu katsu, bifu katsu, or beef cutlet, is made by coating beef with breadcrumbs and frying it. Its roots can be traced to the European dish known as côtelette, which was introduced to Japan during the Meiji period (1868–1912).
The original European preparation involved cooking breaded veal in a pan with a relatively small amount of fat. In Japan, the technique evolved into deep-frying, helping establish the crispy cutlet style now associated with Japanese yoshoku cuisine.
From the Taisho period (1912–1926) onward, pork cutlets, known as tonkatsu, became increasingly popular in eastern Japan. In western Japan, particularly in the Kansai region around Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto, beef has long held an important place in local food culture. As a result, beef cutlets have remained a popular choice throughout the region.
Although beef cutlets were traditionally most closely associated with western Japan, the dish attracted widespread attention in Tokyo around 2015 and subsequently gained popularity across the country. Thick-cut beef, a rare-style center, and Japanese-style seasonings became especially popular. Restaurants such as Shinbashi Gyukatsu Okada helped bring this style of beef cutlet to a wider audience.
Beef cutlets vary according to the cut of meat and the way they are cooked. As with steak, diners may encounter different degrees of doneness, including rare, medium, and well-done, depending on the restaurant’s preparation and serving style. Cut names can also reflect the part of the animal used, much as they do with pork cutlets.
In Osaka and other parts of the Kansai region, beef is also a common ingredient in kushikatsu, a dish of skewered ingredients coated in batter or breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Skewered beef, including lean cuts and beef tendon, is fried until crisp and traditionally enjoyed with a special dipping sauce. Kushikatsu is another well-known example of the region’s love of hearty, fried dishes.
Bifu katsu and Kakogawa’s katsumeshi reflect two sides of Hyogo Prefecture’s food culture. Beef cutlet represents the region’s long-standing appreciation for beef and Japanese Western-style cuisine, while katsumeshi has become a distinctive local tradition enjoyed in restaurants, homes, and school cafeterias throughout the Kakogawa area.
When visiting Hyogo, try both dishes to experience their differences firsthand. Whether you prefer a crisp beef cutlet with rich sauce or a generous plate of rice topped with the signature flavors of katsumeshi, these regional specialties offer a delicious way to discover the area’s culinary heritage.